I'll Wear a Nice Shirt, If You Bring the Soda
by YoshiShipsHaruKano
Summary: The pitter patter of little feet and the whisper of small, tearful gasps rushed up behind him. Even though he turned to face the sound, the form hit him with little warning. He should've seen her coming. She only stood in front of him for a moment, but Shintaro was able to decipher her purple hood, green hair, reddened face, and… eyes to match? Huh, she was an oddity. (Shinkido AU)


**(A.N. – HAPPY SHINKIDO DAY, EVERYONE! I hope you enjoy this little fic I wrote. It makes no sense, but I hope you enjoy it! Triggers – Extreme fluffiness. This is kinda an AU, but it is implied that Kido still has her Eye Ability. I don't even know.)**

The pitter patter of little feet and the whisper of small, tearful gasps rushed up behind him. Even though he turned to face the sound, the form hit him with little warning. He should've seen her coming. She only stood in front of him for a moment, but Shintaro was able to decipher her purple hood, green hair, reddened face, and… eyes to match? Huh, she was an oddity. His companion turned, scarf tails flapping behind her, and called after the girl, "Tsu-Tsubomi?!" He didn't pay attention, simply walking in the direction the girl had come from. For some reason, Shintaro wanted to find who or what had caused her pain.

He decided to start at the end of the hall, which was, unfortunately, also the most crowded. So he checked every other room, asking about a little girl with green hair (no one had seen her), and by the time he was done (and tired, and cranky, and wondering why he didn't just give up) the room at the end of the hall was nearly empty and Ayano stood in front of the doorway. "You could've helped, ya know?" he grumbled at her. She just smiled and giggled, like always.

The room was dimly lit by two screens; shadows were cast by the two figures that stood in it. One was a short girl, and she was yelling at the other, a much taller boy.

"YOU IDIOT!" the girl shrieked "DID YOU EVEN-" she stopped when she noticed Shintaro and Ayano in the doorway. The boy explained what their booth was about, while the girl stood in silence. The screens were apparently for a video game. Shintaro was good at video games. He was also good at inferring; it wouldn't surprise him if this girl's temper was what caused Tsubomi's (Wasn't that what Ayano called her?) tears. So he decided to beat her.

It was just because she was cocky, though. He didn't care about Tsubomi. He didn't care about her at all.

The short girl was Takane, and he kicked her ass at the game. The tall boy was Haruka, and he was the sweetest thing alive. The little girl was Tsubomi, her last name was Kido, she was Ayano's little sister, and she was really pre- quiet…

Shintaro and Takane didn't get along. He would always trick information about how to get under her skin from Haruka, as if he found some sick joy from it.

No, he didn't mean any harm to Haruka, but it was a small price to pay to make sure Takane suffered, and suffer she did, sometimes crying for hours straight, alone or in Haruka's arms, when she thought Shintaro wasn't looking. It sometimes felt wrong, torturing the sickly girl for the sole reason that something in his gut told him she deserved it, but sometimes he remembered Tsubomi's tears, how badly they hurt him for a reason he didn't understand.

He didn't understand, at least until he saw her again.

It was the first day of his third year of high school. Ayano excitedly scurried up to him like she always did, but it wasn't just her scarf tails trailing behind her. Three young kids also hung close, one of them even clung directly to her scarf. That was a young boy with a dark brown hair, a scared look in his golden eyes. There was also a boy with blond hair, who poked and teased the third child, obviously annoying her.

That third child was Tsubomi. Her hair was even greener, even more beautiful, than he remembered. She shoved away at the blond boy, extremely annoyed, but when her eyes, her beautiful, red eyes, met his, her breath visibly caught, and so did his. However, Ayano, oblivious Ayano, didn't notice. She simply rambled on, more excited for school than someone of her intelligence (or lack of) should be. "This is Kousuke," she patted the head of the boy who still held fast to her scarf, "Here's Tsu- Shuuya leave her alone!" she grabbed the blond's hands, pulling him away from Tsubomi. "Here's Shuuya, a bit of a prankster…" She glared at him. "And, last, but not least, Tsubomi!" Ayano pulled the girl into a hug.

"H-hey…" Shintaro breathed. He meant for it to be directed at all of them, but Tsubomi currently had his gaze stuck. He didn't really care; she was certainly the prettiest girl in his line of vision.

Her voice came soft, sweet, "H-hey..."

"Shintaro; I'm Shintaro." She probably wasn't asking that, and it came off as colder than he intended, but he was too busy staring, trying not to stare, and trying not to think about running up and hugging her.

She smiled, it was bright, sweet, and he loved it. "Okay, Shintaro."

They got along well, much better than Ayano expected. Neither of them were really good with people, either really awkward or really rude, the both of them, but something drew the two of them together. Some days they simply spent together, walking around town, eating out, watching the sunset. It was a blissful point in both of their lives. Shintaro had been in love with her since before he knew her name, but Tsubomi had ended up pierced by Cupid's arrow as well.

While it had taken longer for her, she still knew, for sure, that Shintaro Kisaragi was the one for her, before their first school year together was over. It had happened gradually too, falling in love. It was the realization that came sudden. She was preparing to meet him, putting on the finest clothes she owned that didn't meet the trash because they were falling apart or simply hurt her heart. A plain, maroon t-shirt that would probably fit a boy better but didn't bother her small chest, along with a pair of her mother's old jeans, made up her outfit. She looked in the mirror. That was the first clue. She cared about her appearance when it came to meeting a guy.

The second came when every member of her family asked her, all in different tones and with different words, if she was going on a date.

Her father pried, "You look nice today. Anyone special?"

Her mother loved, "You look wonderful sweetie. Whoever it is, don't let them hurt you."

Ayano understood, "He'll be stubborn, but he's a good person. He loves you, he loves you so much."

Shuuya annoyed, "Heey who's that for? Are they nice? Are they mee?"

Kousuke was curious, "Tsubomi, why are you dressed like that?! Are you dating someone?!"

Every single one of them was consoled, thanked, or shoved away in the appropriate manner. She wasn't dating him. She didn't even think he made these appointments for any other reason than to be polite, for Ayano's sake. All he did was stare at her until she tried to start a conversation; probably judging her with that snarky attitude of his.

Except she knew that wasn't it. She knew from the way he got flustered every time she snapped him from his daze and the stupid grin he had on his face around her and the way he made her so happy…

That was the third, and the most obvious, clue that she was madly in love with Shintaro Kisaragi. He seemed so happy around her; he made her happy in return. Now she was disappointed that it wasn't a date.

Sighing, she arrived at the location she and Shintaro had planned to meet at, a small clearing by a river. It's beautiful scenery; trees lightly decorated by mosses with branches casting shadows like stained glass on the grasses. The sound of rustling leaves and the bubbling river were overtaken by cursing coming from one direction or another. Tsubomi giggled in a way that was far too girly for her liking, but she didn't care. She called out, as loud and as clear as her beating heart would allow, "Over here, Shintaro! Remember, where we said to meet?" She tried to stay sarcastic and almost rude like she always was, but her revelation brought her to a state of always wanting to be with him.

The bushes rustled, revealing a stumbling, still-cursing (but it was quieter now) Shintaro. She giggled again, and he laughed too, breathy and warm in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

He set down his heavy-looking bag with a sigh. "Brought ya something." He tossed her a bottle of- what did she expect? Soda. She giggled a third time, and that caused him to stare a bit, that same goofy smile on his face. "You look really nice. You normally cover up so much and do nothing with your hair… Not that that's a bad thing! Just… The red goes with your eyes… And… You're beautiful…"

Pause. "SHIT I MEAN-"

Another pause. Longer, only slightly broken by the gentle gasps that came with any couple's, any person's, first kiss.

It was mutually warm and loving, that kiss was. The two who sat there, under the dappled sunlight were happy.

In love and nervous, but very, very happy.

"So…" Shintaro breathed after no more breath could be shared between them. "I'm not… crazy for liking you?"

"You are crazy. But I love you too."

"Love? Isn't that moving a bit too fast?"

"Probably. But I don't care. I love you."

"I love you too, Tsubomi."

Both of them now bore those goofy smiles, clinking the plastic soda bottles together in toast long after they were empty, the two lovebirds spent that night and more complaining about the world and falling more in love each time for it. This was real happiness.


End file.
